PROTECTION OF VICTIMS OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA – VICTIMOLOGY VIEW

Abstract

The central theme of this paper is the victimological perspective on the protection of victims of criminal offenses in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This issue is important due to the increasing number of victims of the most serious crimes, making it particularly relevant given the exceptionally high level of social danger of this category of criminal activities and numerous consequences they leave on the victims. Moreover, the attitude of the relevant entities regarding crime victims in general, is that it is not only a problem of a single country, but a universal problem. As a result, it is necessary for the international community as a whole to take measures aimed at more regularly adequately regulating their criminal-law status, and ensuring their proper legal protection. This would also help to prevent, as much as possible, both their stimagtization and re-victimization. In the first part of the paper, the right to a fair trial and the imbalance between the rights of the accused and the rights of crime victims are analyzed to determine whether the functioning of repressive authorities in Bosnia and Herzegovina reflects the rule of law . The data confirm that justice is more effectively served when victims have sufficient information about the criminal justice system and the resources available to them. The second part of the paper presents data related to the minimum standards set out in Directive 2012/29/EU of 2012 on the support and protection of crime victims. This Directive ensures that persons who have become victims of crime are recognized and treated with respect, aiming to place victims at the center of the criminal justice system and strengthen their rights. In this way, every victim could rely on having the same rights, regardless of where the criminal offense was committed, their citizenship or residence status. This Directive establishes a set of mandatory standards for the states that ratified it with the aim of improving the position of crime victims within criminal proceedings. In this context, special emphasis is placed on de lege ferenda measures concerning the reform of the victim protection system in Bosnia and Herzegovina.